There's a question I get pretty often, so I thought I'd devote an entry to it here. It came up recently when someone who I had never met before came across my blog and reached out to me via email. Here's what she wrote (used with her permission):
Good morning Lane! I was reading your blog this morning and wanted to ask you a question. I'm a college student and have been dealing with a couple things for a while now. I finally decided to reach out and make an appointment with a therapist yesterday (YAY!) However, for some reason I woke up today feeling great and more positive. Now I'm starting to wonder if I should cancel my therapy appointment because there might not be something wrong after all? I don't know. Do I have to have a serious issue to be helped and taken seriously? Thank you in advance!
Perhaps her concerns sounded familiar. Perhaps you've asked yourself similar questions. Here's what I wrote back:
Thanks for your email. You bring up a great question that people often ask, so first let me validate your concern. You are definitely not alone in thinking this way. I refer to this quandary as the "good day/bad day" therapy scenario.
I understand from your email that you are feeling better and more positive today than you were yesterday. However, I would recommend still going to your appointment. Even someone struggling with a mental illness or traumatic event will sometimes have the occasional "good day." This does not mean that the underlying issues have gone away or been "cured." Many people assume that therapy sessions are only useful on "bad days," but this simply isn't true. A session on a particularly "good day" can actually be extremely productive and meaningful. I believe a session like that can offer a unique opportunity for us to explore the makings of a "good day" for that particular person so that we can have a road map to potentially create more "good days" in the future. I hope that helps!
If you have ever thought about making a therapy appointment but then backed out because you had a "good day" know that you are not alone. Help is out there no matter how large or small you think your needs are. Having a good day doesn't invalidate your desire for therapy. Ending the stigma around mental health starts with you. Make your wellbeing a priority starting right now. I hope you found this helpful, and thank you for reading.